Concrete accounts for 8% of the world's CO2 emissions. Efforts are being made to reduce its embodied carbon, but reusing concrete from existing buildings has significant untapped potential.
This study presents an innovative digital workflow for predicting the lifespan of concrete elements, CO2 uptake via natural carbonation and embodied carbon savings through reuse. The workflow was tested in a building from the 1960s with high reuse potential.
It found that most precast elements would last long enough to be reused effectively and that reuse is better for the environment than carbonation.
The digital workflow is useful for quickly assessing lifespan, carbonation and embodied carbon of concrete. It is a useful tool when designing for reuse.
BUILD UP, the European portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings, is hosting the fifth in a series of six webinars organised with the CircularB COST Action project. This one is on Contractors, Builders and Manufacturers of Construction Products.
